Photo: Coolcaesar / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Nineteen people who took part in Sunday’s Santa Barbara Half Marathon went to Cottage Health emergency departments, a number of them with similar symptoms of undetermined cause, and Santa Barbara police are investigating. The cause has not been confirmed. The race was held Sunday, Nov. 8, and the hospital visits followed that day.
The photograph is a 2022 image of the entrance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. It is an archival photo, not a picture of the race or of the patients.
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital alerted police after several runners arrived seeking treatment for unusual symptoms, the Santa Barbara Police Department said in a news release. Police said those hospitalized came by ambulance, on their own, or as walk-ins, to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. “The cause of the reported symptoms has not been confirmed,” police said, adding that the public does not need to take any specific action, but that participants who feel unwell should seek medical attention.
Cottage Health said it had a larger than expected number of emergency visits tied to the run. It said Sunday that “19 participants arrived at Cottage EDs, a number of them with similar symptoms of undetermined cause,” adding that it is working to determine whether the cause is the heat or other factors. The symptoms themselves have not been described.
Race organizers said they believe the illnesses were heat related. Event director David Monico said the race had more medical transports than in past years, possibly because of warmer weather than in earlier years and more runners. He said the medical team along the course reported the kinds of symptoms typical of endurance events: heat exhaustion, exhaustion and dehydration. Organizers said they have no reason to believe anything out of the ordinary happened during the race. Monico said police are checking claims that circulated on social media, and that organizers do not know yet whether there is anything to them.
The race started at 7 a.m. Sunday and had about 7,500 registered participants, according to organizers.
Why it matters: the number of hospital visits is well above what organizers say is normal for the event, and the cause is still open. No cause, illness, or suspect has been identified, and no one has been reported seriously ill in the statements reviewed here. This report will be updated as police and the hospital release more information. Anyone with information is asked to contact Santa Barbara police Sgt. Andre Miller at 805-897-2330.
JBizNews Desk | Santa Barbara, Calif.
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